By Zephyria 
The story of the mercenary-turned-defense force instructor had been circulating through various TV channels for quite some time.
It was perfect news for those always seeking amusement and a topic that would instantly gather the attention of citizens sensitive to Aberrants.
However, Jin Mu-hae believed there was another purpose behind this endless celebrity-making.
A success story of a sincere and righteous young man who, despite living in the slums due to his relatives’ crimes, loved the city he was born and raised in and cherished his neighbors.
Looking at the perfectly captured photo from the award ceremony, as if it were someone from a distant world, Mu-hae couldn’t shake the feeling that he had become a propagandist for the Goryeo City system.
“They don’t even call you a reliable young man anymore?”
“……”
“They say you’re the pride of the generation that will support Goryeo City in the future.”
The expressions used to describe Mu-hae were subtly changing. The gaze that once looked at the commendable mercenary now held a strange respect.
Even at the banquet held after the award ceremony, he received quite a few people’s contact information. Considering that most contacts were made through secretaries, he still wasn’t treated the same as them, but it was a sign that Mu-hae was somehow blending into the fringes of the mainstream.
“Jin Mu-hae, are you going to the academy?”
“Would I?”
The woman who introduced herself as the head of an academy in Central even asked if he had any thoughts of continuing his studies.
He would have to have started studying to continue, or not. He had no intention of studying among immature kids with his already towering physique.
Mu-hae politely declined, saying he had already completed his studies on his own, and the woman, who didn’t seem to believe him at first, soon showed interest in Mu-hae’s surprisingly knowledgeable words and actions.
He had never even set foot in a formally registered academy, but those who taught him were once elites of Central.
Moreover, because of his background, people’s expectations were low, so he was doing at least average no matter what conversation he had.
It was from then that he began receiving invitations to several charity events and celebrations. The wealthy were strangely intertwined like a spiderweb, so an invitation that started with a defense force fund charity event led to a sponsor’s seventieth birthday party and the launch of a small business.
It was a light intention to place a recently rising celebrity like a screen at their parties, but thankfully, it wasn’t light for Mu-hae, who was being invited.
If it were before, he wouldn’t have even been able to approach such gatherings. By extending the branches of his network one by one, he would eventually reach someone from the Vegan Society.
Could Gu-reum have intended that when she put him in the defense force? At this point, he was almost admiring how far ahead she had planned things.
“Eung.”
The guy who slipped into his arms and rubbed his head all over his chest erased the thoughts that were stretching far away.
It’s funny how he tries to curl up and snuggle in as much as possible, even though he’s as tall as anyone else. Jin Mu-hae stroked the hair that was starting to grow long again and lifted Joo-oh, placing him properly on his lap.
“Do you see me as a chair?”
“Jin Mu-hae put me here.”
“Isn’t that why you crawled over here?”
“Heh, that’s right. Haha.”
He was still annoyed by the body that clung to him all the time. But it was warm and pleasant enough that he let him do as he pleased.
Joo-oh seemed to know that his smile was his weapon. When he was about to get annoyed beyond measure, he would wiggle and flash his eye smile like a ghost.
It was humiliating to be swayed by such a guy, but when he stroked his soft nape and held it in his hand, he felt like, so what?
He never thought he would be like this. Sitting on the sofa with Joo-oh and fooling around, Jin Mu-hae sometimes felt like he wasn’t the person he knew.
He still doesn’t say anything nice to him, though…
“I like going to parties with Jin Mu-hae.”
“Isn’t it because the food there is good?”
“The meat is delicious, but Jin Mu-hae dresses up cool.”
He doesn’t deny that eating is good until the end. It’s better that he’s honest. When he acts suspiciously, Mu-hae felt like his throat was burning without him realizing it.
Especially regarding the past, Joo-oh always pretended not to hear and turned away. The story he slipped out on the stairs at dawn felt like a dream.
Did he say he was waiting for death? That the food had run out?
He doesn’t know when that story took place. He’s not even sure if it really happened or if it was a creation somewhere between a simple dream and delusion.
Nevertheless, the look in his eyes at that moment remained so deeply in his mind that it often lingered in his head.
It is now almost a given that Solar City conducted unethical experiments. Even though Mu-hae couldn’t completely believe that Joo-oh was really an Experiment from there, he often imagined what he might have gone through there.
Now that he can roughly understand his father’s research, he has no way of knowing how human experimentation is carried out.
His imagination always ended with Joo-oh floating in a transparent liquid and a cold atmosphere. So he was more curious about the hidden circumstances, but strangely, he didn’t want to know.
He just became less critical of his enormous appetite. Joo-oh didn’t eat crazy amounts all day long like he used to.
So he just avoids it. He ignores it, pretending not to know, feeling like there’s something he can’t handle lurking there.
“Jin Mu-hae smells good too.”
“Stop sniffing.”
That’s how he lived, survived, and kept the suspicious Joo-oh by his side. Mu-hae had never once been dissatisfied with the result.
“I am very pleased to be invited to such a splendid event.”
“You must be the interesting person my father mentioned. There’s not much to offer, but I hope you enjoy your time here.”
Even though his name value has increased, Jin Mu-hae still seems to be nothing more than an interesting guy to the Central kids.
Greetings were always like this. Whether they were or not, it was fortunate that Joo-oh, who was next to him, always had a happy face.
A rich man’s birthday party was quite different from the celebrations in the slums, where it was fortunate if you remembered the day you were born.
When commemorating a specific age, all sorts of people gathered, and the host couldn’t even pay attention to who came if they were invited.
Naturally, Mu-hae could also comfortably observe people. If he felt anything strange, he would eavesdrop on the conversation without Joo-oh telling him to.
Then he would come up to him and whisper things in his ear, pretending to hand him a snack.
“That round-faced man over there is changing doctors.”
“……Doctor?”
“He says his life is boring even after receiving counseling. So he’s leaning towards religious life these days.”
Strictly speaking, the Vegan Society is not a formal religious group. They give special meaning to Blue Energy and are immersed in their own logic, but they do not believe in God or wait for the afterlife.
Still, they were similar to cults, so he felt a precarious feeling that he could find a clue if he dug a little deeper.
“What did the other person say?”
“He said he has a meeting he goes to. He doesn’t usually introduce it to just anyone, but he said he’d take him along.”
“And?”
“He was munching on something, and then another person came and greeted him and talked about business. Judging from the steel frame thing, I don’t think he’s someone who makes food. It’s not fun. Right.”
The problem was that most of them were cut off at such ambiguous points. After all, the Vegan Society wasn’t stupid enough to talk about their things in such an open space.
However, one thing he learned from several events was that ‘opportunity comes to those who want it.’
If there was someone considering religion, someone would always recommend a legal religious business that they or an acquaintance knew.
If there was a Vegan Society scheme among them, there was a way to make them come looking for him on their own.
“Let’s go back early today.”
“Why? Is there nothing you want to eat?”
“No. I have someone to meet.”
Mu-hae’s world, which used to consist only of Teacher Jung and Director Gil, had now grown quite a bit. Even if he didn’t intentionally gather them, there was help he could draw from here and there.
Recently, he also met a Central peer who followed him like a benefactor. He was the most suitable person to include in this league of their own.
“Huh? Religion?”
“I’m not asking if you really believe in it, but there’s someone I’m personally looking for. I won’t force you if it’s difficult.”
“No, it’s not difficult, but…”
A cafe near the train station. Park Young-chan put down the drink he was about to drink and made a blank face.
To be suddenly called out and told to believe in God was such an absurd statement.
Soon, a pitiful gaze flew at him, as if asking if he was the kind of person who would be swayed by such things. The look in his eyes was so sincere that it was painful as if he had been hit.
In the end, Mu-hae gave up on the idea of stalling and had to reveal his plan earlier than he thought.
“Actually, a friend of mine recently put in a request to find someone. I’m gradually reducing my mercenary work, so I was going to refuse, but I owed him a favor in the past, so I ended up helping. But that clue is…”
“You mean it’s religion, of all things.”
“I managed to approach it somehow, but the trail was cut off in Central. It’s a religion that’s far from a formal business, so I think we’ll have to wait for them to approach us first.”
Park Young-chan seemed to understand what he was trying to say with just a simple explanation. After thinking for a moment, he glanced at Joo-oh and shrugged his shoulders as he replied.
“In that case… it’s not a difficult task. I almost died and came back to life, so I can handle a strange rumor.”
“I’m not planning on advertising it that loudly. Just show that you’re looking for something special when there are meetings or events you participate in.”
For example, the truth of the world that others don’t know, or fundamental questions about the Aberrants that appear endlessly.
Even the worries that only teenagers would have feel quite different when the hero of the defense force talks about them.
There was no way that there could be a more helpful and tempting prey for the Vegan Society, which was trying to expand its power.